The March Madness Guide To SEO

Is it the one superstar? How about the role players helping out? What about the leadership of a great coach? My opinion is all of the above.

Now, what makes a great SEO team? Is it the agency you choose, or is it the all-star SEO manager? Maybe you've just started working with your SEO team on your website, and you're wondering what's going on behind the scenes.

Since we're just days away from March Madness 2013, I thought it would be appropriate to explain just how similar an SEO team is to a basketball team.

The Point Guard

This is your SEO Manager. You want a great SEO manager directing the play of your efforts just like you would want a great point guard directing the play of the game, like Chris Paul (CP3). These are the ones who will guide the rest of the team in in getting points on the board, and making sure positive results are being made.

The Shooting Guard

This is your SEO Specialist. Here is someone who is going out and finding all the best places to acquire high quality links for your site, and is making things happen just like a great shooting guard would do. You think of all the great shooting guards in the game, like Jordan, Michael or Bryant, Kobe, and they are the ones leading the team in scoring.

The Small Forward

Meet your Content Strategist. He or she will work with the copywriter just like a small forward and a power forward do on the hardwood. The content strategist must be creative, and be able to come up with topics and ideas that are unique and click-worthy. Just like Kevin Durant is able to create shots out of nothing, and you are often left with your jaw on the floor when you see his creativeness in action, a great piece of content can often do the same.

The Power Forward

Here is your Copywriter. This position needs to stick to the fundamentals to get the job done in the most effective way, and the writing needs to be on point and consistent with your brand. Tim Duncan is the epitome of consistency, for example. You know what you are going to get out of him night in and night out, and the same goes for your copywriter.

The Center

This is your SEO Analyst. They will be using their strength (analytical expertise) to defend against the other team (competition). The SEO Analyst stays in constant contact with the SEO Manager, and regularly updates the team on the performance of the website and how visitors interact with the pages and content. Similarly, the Center will stay close to the basket, and will often anchor the defense.

The Coach

Here is the Marketing Agency. A good coach is proven through a consistent track record and experience, and when choosing an agency you also should make sure they have a proven track record and have the experience. The great basketball coaches like Phil Jackson, Jerry Sloan,and Chuck Daly all have their own effective ways of getting the most out of their players, and an agency should do the same with their employees.

The Referees

Matt Cutts, head of Webspam at Google.Photo credit: Jehochman

The search engines. I'm talkin' about you, Google. Make sure to play by their rules and if you are not, you'll end up fouling out and losing the game.